Box structure



March 14, 1944.

W. TROGMAN BOX STRUCTURE Filed June 6, 1942 Patented 14, 1944 VUNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE BOX STRUCTURE William Trozman, Chicago, Ill.Application June 6, 1942, Serial No. 446,065

3 Claims. (Cl. 229-52) This invention relates to -boxes and moreparticularly to certain novel improvements in box construction and hasas its principal object the provision of a simple structure which willbe economical in manufacture and highly eillcient in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a box an improved handleand latch which coact to strengthen that portion of the box where thehandle load is concentrated.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an improvedhandle structure for boxes, which handle is so formed as to -be held inhand receiving condition when associated with the box.

Other advantages and novel aspects of the invention will appear morereadily in the description read in the light of the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my new box in opened position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the central portion of the boxshown in Fig. l, in closed condition;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational View of that portion of the.box seen in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of that portion of the |boxshown in Figs. 2 and 3 in the course of being assembled into iatchedcondition;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the latch tabforming a part of my new box structure;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section through the box as seen along line 6-6in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary inside elevation of the box, partly in section,as seen from line 'l-l in Fig. 6:

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along line 8-8 in Fig. 3;

Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, are illustrative of a modied form of handleengaging structure for my new box in which:

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective vie'w illustrating the assembly ofthe modified form;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along line I0-I0 in Fig.l2;

Fig. 1l is a fragmentary .bottom plan view of my modified form as seenfrom line lI-II in Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective View of my modied form of handleengaging structure with a handle associated therewith.

The box illustrated in the drawing is the conventional suit-box which isformed preferably from cardboard or the like by arranging crease linesat various points to facilitate folding. 'I'he box is generallyindicated at I0 and comprises an article receiving portion I I and acover portion I2 therefor, each of which is formed of the same piece ofstock and hence joined at one edge by an edge wall portion I3 which forpurpose of clarity shall be referred to as the lbottom edge. Eaclrof theportions II and I2 are provided with upstanding -wall portions II' andI2 respectively, along each end thereof, the joining ends of the wall IIof the box II and the wall I2' of the cover I2 being creased in a mannerwell known in the art to permit the box and cover to be swung towardeach other. 'I'he edges of the portions II and I2 opposite the integralbottom wall I3 are each provided with like lWall portions I5 and I6respectively, which portions will be referred to individually as topedges. These top edges I5 and I6 are suitably joined to their` adjacentend walls Il' and I2' by a corner joint I1 well known in the art of boxmaking.

A novel handle arrangement is provided for carrying the box, and thishandle arrangement is novel in its specic relation to the interiittingtop edges of the box together with box locking tabs associated withthecomplementary members II and I2 forming the receptacle and cover of thebox.

The handle 20 proper consists of a single length of wire with its medialportion providing a hand grip 2|, the two ends of the wire being bentback upon the hand grip at an oblique angle to provide a pair of hangermembers 22 which appear to converge but rather are again bent back as at23 in a direction opposite to the direction of the rst mentioned benduntil the remaining portions 24 of the wire are disposed parallel to thehand grip 2| and in axial alignment with each other. An elongated slot25 is cut into the top edge I5 of the box and a pair of annular eyelets26 are formed at the centermostarea thereof with these eyelets 26 spaceda distance along the slot 25 equal to the distance between the bends 23on the handle 20. One end 24 of the handle 20 is inserted into andthrough one eyelet 26 (see Fig. l) and the opposite end 24 is pressedthrough the elongated slot 25 so that both of the aligned portions 24are disposed on the underside ofl the top edge I5 with the bends 23 ofthe handle passing through the corresponding'eyelets 26 (see Fig. 2). Itwill be noted that the slot 25 is formed substantially tangential withrespect to the eyelets 26 so that the portions 24 of the handle bearagainst a substantial portion of the edge I5 and n ot against the slot25. l

The top edge I6 of the cover portion I2 has a U shaped slot 21 formed inits medial section and this U shaped slot 21 is relatively narrow inwidth but sumciently wide to permit the bends 23 ofv the handle in handgripping condition at all times.

Lifting action upon the handle 23 causes the portions 24 thereof to bearupwardly upon the two interiitting edge portions I5 and I5 and normallywould urge the free edge I 5 of the top Wall I6 away from the top wallI5 disposed beneath it. However, the box structure is provided with alatching means in the form of a pair of three-way latch members 2lformed closely adjacent the U-shaped slot 21 and as a part of the topwall I6 itself. These members 2l extend from the free edge'Ii' and arecreased as at 23 so as to fold downwardly along the body of thereceptacle portion II of the box.

'I'he three-way latch member is adapted to be interlocked with theportion II by an upper tab 30 arcuately cut in the member 23 and adaptedto be iiexed out of alignment with the balance cf the member 23 along apair of crease lines 3i flanking the arcuate tab 3l (see Fig. 4). A tabreceiving slot 32 is formed in the portion II of the box and it is intothis slot 32 that the tab 30 is inserted. The remaining relativelynarrow portion 33 of the member 23 provides a grip whereby the lockingmember may be manipu lated, and formed at each end of this portion 33 isa tab 34. An arcuate slot 35 is cut into the wall of the portion IIadjacent each end of the tab receiving slot 32, and these arcuate slots35 are adapted to receive the corresponding tabs 34 to hold the gripportions 33 down flush with the body of receptacle portion II and alsoto latchingly hold the cover portion I2 securely in locked relation withthe receptacle I I.

It will be noted that the arcuate tab 3l when engaged in the slot 32keeps the two top edges I5 and I6 in close relation and that both ofthese members therefore bear equally the load caused by the upward forceof the aligned end portions 24 of the handle 20. This is accomplishedmainly because of the close proximity of the latch members with respectto the bends 23 of the handle 20, brought about by the particulartriangular shaped handle with its hanger members extending toward apoint of convergence. As is shown in the drawing, the latch tabs 30 andthe centermost tabs 34 are in a region of the handle where the loadcreated by the upward force of the aligned end portions 24 isconcentrated and hence the tabs are at hand to take up some of thestrain upon the box.

The latch members 28 are relatively small and do not extend far beyondthe edge I6' of the blank from which the box is cut. This makes foreconomy in material. By reason of the simplicity of structure, thesetabs may be used numerous times without becoming ragged and torn, itbeing a simple matter to bow the grip portion 33 as seen in Fig. 5 inorder to remove the end tabs 34 from the slots 35, the arcuate tab 30sliding gracefully from its slot 32 without distortion of either slot ortab.

The arrangement of the handle on the box may be modified as shown inFigs. 9 to 12, inclusive. By this form the elongated slot may be doneaway with by forming a U-shaped slot 4II in the top edge I5 similar tothe slot 2l formed in the upper edge I 6. This permits the closelydisposed bends 23 of the handle to be slid into position as the cover isbeing brought into position over the receptacle I I (see Fig. 9).Additional strength is given the handle arrangement by permitting aportion of the material 4I to remain connected to the bight portion ofthe slot 2'I with two narrow slots running all the way down to thebight.

Inassemblythenthisportlon 4I isbentdown along the bight line of the slot21 so that it projects into the slot 4l formed in the lowermost one ofthe top edges Ii. This construction strengthens the bight portion of theupper slot 21, which is most likely to be strained under the load of thehandle and also provides an interlock between upper and lower top edgesI5 and Ii respectively.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into eii'ect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a box of cardboard including a receptacle portion and a coverportion with overlapping edge portions, a load carrying means for saidbox including a wire handle with connected hanger arms extending in adirection to converge with each other and provided with bends in adirection from said point of convergence to provide aligned endportions, an elongated slot with closely disposed eyelets formed in oneof said overlapping edge portions and adapted to receive said alignedend portions of said handle with the bends thereof disposed in saideyelets, and a relatively narrow slot formation in the other one of saidoverlapping edge portions to permit closure of said cover and receptacleportion.

2. In a box of cardboard including a receptacle portion and a coverportion with overiapping edge portions, a load carrying means for saidbox including a wire handle with connected hanger arms extending in adirection to converge with each other and provided with bends in adirection from said point of convergence to provide aligned endportions, a transverse slot formed in the lowermost of said overlappingedge portions and adapted to receive said handle in the region of thesaid bends, and a corresponding slot formed in the other one of saidoverlapping edge portions with said last named slot facing in adirection normal to said first named slot and adapted to slide intoassembled relation with the bends of said handle so as to cooperate withthe companion slot to Bank the bends of said handle and maintain thelatter in load carrying relation with respect to said box.

3. A handle arrangement for a box including complementary box members inthe form of a container and cover therefor, said handle arrangementincluding the provision of interfitting edge portions on saidcomplementary box members, a handle in the form of a wire bail having agrip portion and two obliquely disposed hanger arms extending therefromin a direction toward convergence with each other, said arms havingbends formed adjacent said point of convergencetodisposetheendsofsaidbailarmsinaxial alignment, means in one of saidedge portions permitting passage of said ends of said bail therebeneathwith the bends of the arms extending through the said edge portion,means formed in the opposite one of said edge portionseand adapted topass about said bends in the arms to permit the complementary members toassume closed relation with respect to each other.

WILLIAM TROGMAN.

